A girl with red-yellow hair stood up on the deck of the ship as she stretched out. She wore a red shirt and brown pants, bandages wrapped around her upper arm. "Beautiful day out!!" She decided as the sun fell on her, in her hand was a glass of some cool drinks. "Don't you agree Filia." She turned to her blond haired companion, and noticed she was gone. "Filia?" She looked around and spotted a brunette girl dressed in a tank top and shorts, and then a skirt over it. "Hey Amelia!!" She called out.
"Yes Lina-san?" The girl asked as she walked over to the other girl. "What is it?" The smile never left Amelia's face.
"Have you seen Filia? She was with me a moment ago, and now she's gone." The girl called Lina looked around her once again. Filia's glass was still where she was sitting, so where was Filia herself.
"Oh, Filia-san went to her room to get a book. She said that you were daydreaming." Amelia replied sitting down next to Lina. "Were you daydreaming about your hometown?" Amelia asked, her eyes round and big with worry.
"Amelia, it's been two months since we set out on the sea. I wasn't daydreaming about my hometown. I was actually daydreaming about the new land. Isn't it a great idea!! The new land that your dad gave you is surrounded by a forest!! There, I'll be free to practice martial arts!!! I'll make a small hut not too deep in, but far enough to keep unwanted guest from coming. I am so glad your dad allowed me come with you." Lina smile broadened.
Back where she came from, she was not allowed to practice any type of fighting, for she was a girl and girls just simply, do not fight. But with a new land, Lina was free to do what ever she wished.
"That's the reason I'm not strong enough to defend myself!!" Lina argued. "I was not allowed to get strong!!"
"Lina-san... I have to question you something. Why do you want to do martial arts. According to what I heard, you were to be the heiress if anything happens to your sister, the glorious Luna Inverse."
"I don't want to be a heiress Amelia!!! That's the whole reason I'm leaving, when I'm gone, I will not be in line to the huge amount of money I might inherit if anything happens to Luna." Lina declared standing up and stretching. "I'd much rather be strong, and defend myself."
"...I would rather be defended by a knight in shining armor." Amelia pouted and sighed. Her friends ways of thinking were mostly alien to her. Amelia herself wasn't a heiress as long as her sister was alive, but that was fine, Amelia still held claim to Lakuteria, a town where Lina called 'The New Land'.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go downstairs, it's getting chilly up..."
'VHOOOOOOON!!!!'
"What's that Amelia?" Lina asked alarmed by the sound of a huge horn.
"It's the....warning signal for....Oh my lord!! Pirates!!! Lina-san, we must get out of here!!" Amelia screamed as she ran down the stairs over to Filia's compartment.
"Wait a sec Amelia how are we going to get out?" Lina asked catching up to her friend. "I thought you said we'd be taking the safest route possible. And correct me if I'm wrong but pirates tend to have a specific spot, territory. Don't tell me we crossed their territory?" Lina demanded.
"I don't know!!" Amelia screamed hysterically trying to reach the compartment. "I did tell them to take the fastest route though, no matter what the...oh-oh."
"Oh-oh what?! No matter what the...you aren't going to say 'the dangers are' are you?" Amelia nodded sheepishly. "AMELIA!!!!!" Lina screamed at her friend.
"I didn't think 'we'd' have pirates come!!" Amelia whined. "I thought we'd only have sharks, or something like that!!" Amelia tried to justify herself.
"If we live through this Amelia, remind me to... AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHH!!!!!" Lina screamed as a figure wrapped around in a cloak appeared in front of her.
The figure took no pity on her as it started to attack her. It leashed a sword in its right hand and swung it at her. Lina pushed Amelia out of the way as she dodged the attack.
"Amelia, get Filia to safety while I buy time, don't worry, I'll be there soon." Amelia nodded and ran towards the stairway. The figure turned around ready to attack her when Lina kicked its hand.
"I'm your opponent." Lina declared taking a stance to fight. If nothing at all she should be lucky enough to practice some moves. The attacker though, didn't even let Lina attack the slightest as it took a red rope and took away Lina's freedom of her hands.
Lina kicked the attacker with her right leg but the figure stopped that with no problem. Lina grit her teeth. She couldn't attack in this position. Her hands tied, and one leg captured. The figure smiled and swung Lina over her back and onto the floor. Lina shout out in pain and Lina saw the attacker smile victoriously.
"Lina-san!!!!" A voice rang out. Lina had to crank her head only to see Amelia and Filia held up by a guy with aqua green hair and gold eyes, he wore only a brown vest and black pants.
"You..."Lina hissed and kicked her opponent off her running to her friends.
"Freeze!!" The man holding her friend captive ordered. "Move and their dead." He threatened. Lina obeyed, her hands going to her side. "Good, we have most of the ones on the ship killed...you three are left....what do we do with you guys now?" His voice was chilling...Lina automatically noticed she wished never to fight him.
"Think I should go ask Xelloss-Oniisama?" A voice not unlike that of a birds singing voice. Lina turned her head, only to see that the figure in the cloak had removed its hood, only to reveal the face of a girl with white skin and eyes the color of amethyst, her hair was let down, and was an ebony black.
"Lin..." The guy muttered. "You attacked them first, I guess it's up to you what to do with them."
"But you went to go hold that blond haired girl in captive first Val...That's if I remember correctly. So you can decide the blonde's fate." The girl called Lin tossed her cloak aside. Under it she was wearing a black high neck no sleeve shirt and blue jeans, her black hair reaching down below her waist. "But I want to ask Oniisama's opinion on what to do with the red head and the black head." She smiled innocently as she grabbed the red rope that was tied to Lina's hands. "Come with me." She jerked the rope and pulled Lina with her.
As Lina walked up to the deck she saw countless dead bodies and felt like throwing up, behind her she heard her friends unable to suppress it and throw up. Lina focused her eyes on the girl in front of her. She didn't seem like the type that could kill even to save her life...but she had been ready to kill Lina and Amelia, even if it wasn't needed...she was a pirate.
"Xelloss-Oniisama!!" Lin let go of the rope and ran to a man. Lina looked up to see who it was and her heart skipped a beat.
Lin had gone up to one of the most handsomest men Lina had ever seen. Hair the color of a deep shade of violet, his eyes not that different from Lin's, his skin as white as a snow. He wore all black on him. A shirt under something that looked like a jacket with out sleeves. Lina could see the muscle in her arms.
He turned to face her, his eyes locking hers. Lina felt her legs weaken as he looked at her. He was a prize.
"What is your name?" He asked smiling at her.
"Li-Lina. Lina Inverse." Lina managed, gathering back her dignity as she straightened her back. "And...yours?"
"Xelloss." He said still smiling at her. Lina tried to look away but couldn't. If she died now, she would not hold any regrets. "Lin, what do you want me to do?" He asked turning to the girl smiling up at him.
"Decide what I should do with them. Should we keep them? I noticed that 'Lina Inverse' has a talent in martial arts." She then showed her inner arm to Xelloss. "She caused a bruise on me, not something anyone can do. I don't know about the blond and the brunette. Val captured those two. But the brunet's fate is mine, since I was the first to go after her."
Xelloss thought for a while before he spoke. "I suggest you let them all live, is that fine with you Val?" He inquired by slightly turning his head. Val only nodded and Xelloss acknowledged that and then turned to Lin. "I have one favor to ask of you though Lin."
"What is it Oniisama?" Lin asked untying the rope on Lina's hands. When she finished Xelloss grabbed Lina's hand and pulled her towards him.
"May I have Lina-san's fate?" He asked kissing Lina's hand. "You can have the rest of the treasures we have found on this one, but I would like to get this one."
Lina thought she'd die. Xelloss had strong arms, leaving no room for her to move away. She was happy that he was holding her, but his words enraged her. Her fate? Lina was the type that would take fate into her own hands and not have some stranger have hold of it.
"Why do you have my fate!?" Lina hissed before Lin replied to him.
"You are now our captive Lina-san. It is up to us to let you live or die." Xelloss stated quietly. "Lin, what do you say. You found this treasure, it is up to you."
Lina distantly thought it was romantic that he called her 'a treasure'. Still, if she was a captive, it meant Amelia and Filia were also captives, and Filia's fate was in the hands of that guy that was called Val. Lina didn't have a good feeling about that.
"It's fine with me. Besides, you already advised me not to kill them, so now I have one less human to worry about...Now to the brunette." Lin switched her gaze to Amelia the exact moment Xelloss scooped Lina up into his arms.
"You are probably tired, it's not everyday someone's ship gets attacked by a group of pirates. You can go to our ship and rest." Xelloss jumped from the ship Lina was on on to another ship.
Pretty fancy for a pirate ship. Lina thought as he put her down. She lowered her head trying to shield off the curious gazes.
"Xelloss, what is that?" A friendly voice, one familiar to Lina asked. Lina snapped up her head and her mouth dropped as she saw the face of the man that talked to her.
"Gaury!!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing as a pirate!!" She almost hugged the man in a white sleeveless shirt and jeans but stopped herself just in time.
Gaury Gabliev had been her young age friend but disappeared one day, leaving only a note saying that he'd come back with a fortune. Lina had always worried about him and was happy to see that his eyes were the same as they were when he had left, blue as a summer sky. Of course he had grown taller and now towered over her, his once short blond hair now reached below his waist.
"Lina....Lina is it really you!!" He exclaimed, his eyes laughing like they used to.
"Yup, it's me, real and alive." She smiled back at him. "I never thought I'd see you...here though." Lina shook her head. "You always surprise me Gaury"
"That's you Lina. I never thought I'd see you here either." Just then Gaury heard his name being called. "I've got to go, see you around Lina, trust me. You will." He waved good bye to her and left.
"You know him?" Xelloss asked as soon as Gaury left.
"He was my playmate when I was still a kid." Lina replied, lost in memory. "he left one day though, only leaving me a note. I was hoping that someday he'd come back, at least to tell me he was safe." Lina smiled at that memory.
"So, what's your name?" Lin asked the brunette girl who had kept her silence since Val handed her over to Lin.
"...Amelia Will Tesla Seyluun." Amelia replied as she jumped onto the pirate ship. Lin followed her. Amelia's mood was smug. If only she had not hurried up the ship, all the crew members would still be alive... it was her fault.
"Well Amelia, you are now going to stay with us until I decide whether or not to let you go free so, let's try to call it truce. I know you are still going to have hard feelings towards us but we can at least try to make the time pass by pleasant to both of us, ne." Lin smiled trying to get Amelia to smile as well. It didn't work though.
"I know it's not the best day of your life, and trust me, this isn't my best day of life either, but still, try to look on the bright side."
"What bright side?" Amelia asked, her voice starting to crack as the tears came to her eyes.
"Um...well, we have pretty good looking men on our ship, starting off with Xelloss-Oniisama, I mean, you've got to admit he's pretty good looking right, if you ask me he's gorgeous but, that's besides the point. Then Val, well his real names Valtierra but we all call him Val, he's not bad looking is he. Then there's Gaury and Zelgadiss, and a bunch of others."
"I don't like pirates, they go against justice."
"No we don't. Besides, aren't you a pirate as well?" Amelia shook her head strongly at that.
"Far from it!! I am from a noble family!! Me, Filia-san, and Lina-san were setting out to Lakuteria, a village that I am to inherit!!"
Now it was Lin's turn to be surprised.
"You serious...you aren't a pirate." Amelia shook her head again. "oh-oh..." Lin muttered.
"I do not like that sound."
"...Gaury's in for it big." Lin muttered under her breath. "Neesama isn't going to be happy when she hears about this."
"What is going on?" Amelia demanded.
"...We attacked the wrong ship apparently." Lin replied. "We usually only attack other pirates and take from them. It's a system set out by Neesama, our previous leader, now Oniisama is but that's besides the point. Usually Zelgadiss tells us when a pirate ship is coming so we can attack, well Zelgadiss was fixing something on another ship of ours and couldn't come out with us today, and we let Gaury do it... guess it was a mistake on our part at that...but beyond that!!! Oh boy, Gaury's going to get yelled at Oniisama first, and then by Neesama."
"So you normally go after other pirates?"
"Usually...Oh boy...Oniisama isn't going to be happy with this news. Especially since he found one treasure he wants."
"...Why did he call Lina-san a treasure?"
"...Because he liked her, I guess. He found her attractive, unusual that he goes so much to call one a treasure though...maybe he just really likes her." Lin shrugged her shoulders. "But he's pretty possessive when it comes to 'treasures' human or not. Lina Inverse isn't engaged or anything is she?"
"No, Lina-san has had a good amount of people ask for her hand in marriage but she doesn't accept any of them. She prefers to run wild."
"Well good that she doesn't. Oniisama would probably kill her fiancee. I saw his eyes. He is determined to let no other have Lina Inverse but him."
"Would he kill Lina-san, sort of if she doesn't become his then.."
"I don't know, I don't know much about his love life, never was interested in it. It meant that I only came second to some other girl."
"...you like your brother don't you."
"Who wouldn't!!!" Lin bounced around the deck as she jumped into a list of how wonderful her brother was. Amelia sighed, maybe they weren't as bad as she thought in the first place, even though she still had a bad feeling for this.